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73. Council in Session
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Bloody Full Moon 74. Out of the Dark
Laura - Council’s headquarters“Where—” My voice breaks. My mouth is too dry to speak. The brightness blinds me as two strigois carry me outside of my cell. It can't be the sun since my skin isn't heated. My eyes have become used to the darkness of the cage, and even the faintest light blinds me.The sound of people talking echoes as we walk through the corridors. I don't even know where they're taking me.My two guides stop, and I along with them. A soft touch takes the place of their hands on my back. “I got her.” Alisa’s voice is more demanding than I am used to hearing her. “You’re dismissed.”As footsteps depart, I look to the side and see Alisa’s face in a haze. My sight slowly clears, and I glimpse her lips stretching in a smirk.She sits next to me in the backseat of a car and instructs the driver to take off. She hands me a bottle of water, and I drink it all. The cool liquid soothes my parched mouth.Alisa sighs, arranging her hair. "It's so hard to keep you out of trouble
Bloody Full Moon 75. Stalking a Strigoi
Alisa - Council HeadquartersHere I am, sitting at my new, large desk covered in piles of papers. I am still trying to get used to the fact that now I am in charge of the entire business empire of the Council.It hasn't been easy these past few days. I'm supposed to be in control of all strigois and their assets.A fireplace, the only light in this room, burns brightly, but the room seems to be anything but bright. The fire spreads a warmth we, strigois, can’t retain. The walls are dark; thick shadows move over the dusty old books on the shelves. Posters displaying information about the company, some of them old and yellowed, and others peeling and faded, hang next to the shelves. Old maps are tacked up on the wall but have no meaning for me.This place has seen so much history, and now it's mine. Too bad I'm not a fan of the past.The general gloomy vibe creeps into my mind as I look over the documents on my desk. Years of funding with no discernable progress, investors breathing do
Bloody Full Moon 76. This Shifter
Paul - In the park“Attacking the blood traders was only a ruse to provide the fake Ion Corvin with a reason to give in. Max couldn’t simply let Laura go. We had to ensure everyone believed the deal was in their best interest.” I pause for a moment, staring at Alisa. She blinks but doesn't say anything.She is still standing in front of us, her arms folded over her chest. Her eyes narrow slightly, her mouth pursed. She doesn’t look happy.“Continue,” she orders. “How did you switch the real Ion Corvin with the fake one?”Her eyes move on to Max. He winks at her, and she immediately returns her attention to me. Her glare chills me to the bone. If I had any doubts before, now I’m confident she’ll be able to keep all the strigois in check. She’s a force of nature, just like Laura. “Alisa, can we do this somewhere more private?” I pause, glancing at a young couple walking by. “These are delicate matters and shouldn’t be discussed in the park.”“You picked this spot and this bench to me
Bloody Full Moon 77. Before the Beep
Laura - At homeDays pass quicker when immortality doesn’t seem like a useless burden. My condition hasn't improved. I am still an immortal strigoi, so basically just another girl in the world, with a few oddities.I fill my time with the things I love most: reading and Paul. He keeps at bay all the pessimistic tendencies that make me want to run away from reality. I know he will one day die. The thought still nibs at the back of my head and sometimes feels unbearable, but I don’t want to give up his company. He gives me hope, and even though we only have a few decades together, I'll make every second count.His presence is a gift to my soul. Even now, when he works in the bedroom while I read a book on the veranda bench, I feel peaceful. Just knowing he is there makes me happy. When we’re closer, things tend to get wild. We share a passion for each other and want to explore every inch of the other. We never get tired of being together. The slightest brush of his skin against mine
Bloody Full Moon 78. Lilac Scent
Paul - At home The house I grew up in was always a little too quiet for my liking. Now, the same house is shifting from a place of memories into a cradle for Laura and me. She has brought most of her things to the house. Unwrapping the last of the boxes, she stares at a small album. She opens it and pulls out a picture. I wrap my arms around her from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder. Out of habit, I sniff her hair, inhaling her scent. “Why do you keep smelling my hair?” she asks, still looking at the photo. I lightly touch my lips to the spot where her neck meets her collarbone.“It is said that when two people are fated mates, their scent is like a fingerprint, a unique signature only the other can notice.” I pause to take another sniff. “For me, you smell like lilac flowers in the spring, and it’s driving me crazy.”I nuzzle her neck, breathing in her scent and letting it fill my lungs. Laura doesn’t answer. She sighs, and her fingers shake over a black and white photog
Bloody Full Moon 79. Serendipity
Paul - At home“We’re leaving the day after tomorrow,” I announce to Dan, sitting in front of him at the kitchen table. “I’ve scheduled a week-long trip to a remote location I don’t want to disclose even to you. I’ve been careful not to go during a full moon. So you and Alin should be fine managing the pack while I’m away. Oh, and the phone signal might be lacking, so don’t try to call me.”“I see you made up your mind already.” Dan sighs. “I knew you would put Laura above all else, but this is too much. Give me at least an emergency contact number to reach you just in case.”“As you said, I’ve made up my mind.”“Fine.” Dan stands and begins pacing through the kitchen. “What about the company? I’m not particularly fond of the idea of taking on business decisions while you’re away.”“Oh, no need. I put Max in charge of the company during my absence.”“The shifter? Why would you do that? Do you trust him so much?”“He’s not doing me any favor. The bastard is charging me for his time and
Bloody Full Moon 80. Love and Fear
Laura - HomeFearing I could drop the puppy from my shaky hands, I slowly set him down on the floor. He immediately starts whimpering and wagging his tail, but I'm too scared to pick him up. I back away slowly, watching him from the corner of my eye as he scrambles to his feet. My legs feel like jelly, and I sit on the couch's edge. Several decades have passed since I've last seen Iustin, my maker. The night I met him was the night I died—the night I became a strigoi. I look at my shaking hands, remembering those times.He was the one who turned me into one of them, holding my dead body in his arms for three days and three nights, keeping my soul trapped inside and forbidding it from going to the other side. For a long time, I thought he lied to me about the process until I did the same to Alisa and turned her into a strigoi as well. He helped me escape the strigoi Council's tight grip, and I owe him my life if my life counts for anything. Iustin covered up my ability to read minds
Bloody Full Moon 81. Never Let Him Go
Alisa - Stryga Inc, her officeBefore entering my office, I stroll down a short hallway and pass my assistant’s desk. Official-looking diplomas and the like hang on the wall behind her. I catch a glimpse of FB reflected in one of them as she turns off her tablet and looks up at me. Does anyone even consider this company an actual workplace? Every employee is a glorified receptionist, and most of them dawdle their time away in front of their computers without doing any real work. When did I become the most diligent person around? “Good morning, Miss Cristescu,” she says, making a good show of turning toward her computer screen as if she has tons and tons of work to do. Her voice is light and cheerful enough, showing that she hasn’t noticed my mood today. Or that she couldn’t care less.If I were to say anything to her, I would fire her on the spot. But starting to dispose of the people who annoy me would leave me working all by myself. So I just nod and continue on my way. Sighing,
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